Sealing device



p l 7, 1953 w. M. BROOKS 2,634,150

SEALING DEVICE Filed Sept. 22, 1949 2 SHEETSSHEET 1 April 7', 1953 w. M.BROOKS 4 2,634,150

SEALING DEVICE v Filed Sept. 22, 1949 2 $HEETS$HEET 2 ig-1L PatentedApr. 7, 1953 V UNITED ES ATE NT "OFF-I CE.

scams DEVICE "Winfred MTBrooks-{West Orange, N. .L, ass'ignor toEL'JJBIOORS Company, Newark, N. J a corporationtoi' Newnlers eyApplicationisepternher 22, 1949, Serial N'o.'1l7;219

-'Olaims.- 1 Thisinventio'n relates'tc sealing devices, particularly,though not exclusively, of. that type which is intended to be applied to*meat orfowl. The main object andcfeature of the invention is "to:provide a construction that will assure the proper closing of the sealeven if the parts are somewhat misdirected during the closing action,and Which Will al'SOl'Jelld to prevent laceration cf "the fingers of theoperator who closes the seal.

"the sealing operation;

Fig. 4 is a view looking in the direction of arrow 4 of Fig. 3;.F'igQiilis a sectional view substantially on the plane of line 5-5 ofFig. 3;

Fig. 6 is a sectional View substantially on the plane-of line 6-6 ofFig. 7;

Fig. 7 is a sectional view showing the seal in "its closed position;

Fig. 8 is a view similar to Fig. 7 but showing 'adifferent form of theinvention;

Fig. 9 is a sectional view substantially on the plane-"of line 9-9 ofFig. 8;

Fig. *10'is a view similar to Fig. 1 but showin amo'di'fie'd form of theinvention;

Fig. 11* is a sectional view similar to Figs. '7 and B butshowing theform of the invention of Fig. 10;

"Fig. 12 is a sectional view substantially on the plane of line l2l2 ofFig. 11;.

' Fig. '13 is a front view of the seal of "Figs. 10, i l-and 12 beforethe seal is closed;

'Fig. 14 is a front view showing the seal of Fig. 1-3' initsclosed'positi n;

15 is a plan view of the blank from which the seal is made but showing amodified form of the .invention .Fig...16 is a view similar to Fig. 13but showing the construction of the seal of Figr15; and

Fig. 171s a view similar to Fig. 14 showing the seal of Fig. 16 in itsclosed position.

Referring first toFigS. 1 to 7,'inclusive, 20 and 2| indicate twobendably connected main sections of sheet material. Main section 20 hasan inner curved surface 20 and is provided with a tongue .22 :iormedintegrally therewith and bent section 2 I.

'2 inwardly thereover in spaced relation thereto. Tongue 22 has anunbentportion 23 severed from the tongue but connected at its base tomain section 20 at the line of bending of tongue 22 to thereby providean opening 24' in said tongue adjacent its line of bending. Said'unbentjportion 23 has an upper curved surface 23 that forms acontinuation of inner curved surface-2i! and formsan outboard extensionof main section 20 and constitutes a combinedfi'nger guard and auxiliarydeflecting surface. 25 indicates a detent on tongue 22 "lying benttoward the inner surface of main section 20. Main section 2| is providedwitha 'prong26 (usuall'ybut not necessarily in the form of a piercingelement), integrally formed therewith and'bent toward main section 20toenter opening 24' of tongue'22 when the two mainsections arebenttoward each other. 21 indicates an'inwardly pro'jectingspur on prong 26adapted to'engage d'etent 25 when the seal is closed. It will nowbeunderstood that, when main sections 20 and 2| are properly bent towardeach other in closing the seal,f prong 26 will usually enter opening '24tand'will then be deflected bythe inner surface 2t offmain section 2% toengage detentr2'5 thereby lifting it and tongue 22 and placing the partsunder tension. After spur 21 has passed "beyond detent '25, the partsmay be released andthe return movement of the parts will cause spur 21;to engage'detent 25 so that the seal 'cannot be opened by retractingprong 25.. .If, however, in the act-of closing the seal, prong 26 isoutwardly misdirected, then it will engage upper curved surface 23 ofmember 23 thereby causing prong 26 to enter opening 24' andwill-be'thereafter deflected as previously described by inner surface 20of main section 26. :It will be understood that. outboard extension 23not onlydirects prong 26'into opening 24, but also acts asag'ua rdprotecting the fingers of the operator.

In the modification shown in Figs. 8 and 19, the construction of'theseal is substantially like that described in Figs. 1 to '7inclusive, and the same reference characters'will apply with thisexception: that spur 2-1 onprong 26, instead of engaging a detent like25, will --engage the free end 22 of tongue 22.

The construction shown in Figs. .10 to 14 inclusive is substantiallythesame as that previously described in connection'with Figs. 1 to 7inclusive and the samereference characterswill apply withthesewexceptionsiprong Ze -is devoid of a spur but is provided with anarrow neck 28 at its :base where it connected to main T n ue-22'hasrits opening 124?? so 3 shaped as to be relatively wide at one end30 and with shouldered formation 31 diminishes in width toward its otherend.

In the modification shown in Figs. 15 to 17, there is disclosedsubstantially the same construction as is described in the modificationshown in Figs. to 14 inclusive except that prong 26 is connected at itsbase to main section 2| by a narrow neck portion 29 having squareshoulders in contradistinction to the curved formation 28 shown in Fig.10. Opening 26" in tongue 22 is relatively wide at one end 32 and withshouldered formation 33 diminishes in width toward its other end.

It will be noted that, in the two modifications of the inventioncomprised respectively by Figs. 10 to 14 inclusive and Figs. 15 to 17inclusive, there are no interlocking spurs and detents on the prong andtongue of the forms of the invention such as are shown in Figs. 1 to '7inclusive or in Figs. 8 and 9. It has been found that these spurs anddetents may be omitted if a narrow neck portion such as 28 or 29 isprovided, because in closing the seal these narrow neck portions arebent beyond their limits of elasticity so that in attempting to open theseal the metal of the prong at its line of bending will be apt to breakthereby leaving evidence that the seal has been tampered with. Or, if itbe attempted to jiggle the prong sideways to withdraw it withoutunbending it, the narrow neck portions 28 or 29 will encounter thesquare shoulders 3| or 33 of openings or 2 3 and thus prevent withdrawalof the prong. It should be noted that neck portions 28 or 29 must be atthe very base of prongs 26 or 28, since otherwise diificulty will beencountered in closing the seal, as any intermediate reduced portionwill be apt to catch in square shoulders 3| or 33 of openings 24 or 24and thus prevent closing of the seal.

I claim:

1. In a seal having two bendably connected main sections of sheetmaterial, the combination with one of said main sections, provided withan inner curved surface, of a tongue formed integrally with said onemain section and bent inwardly thereover in spaced relation thereto,

-said tongue having an unbent portion severed from the tongue butconnected at its base to the one main section at the line of bending ofsaid tongue to thereby provide an opening in said tongue adjacent itsline of bending, said unbent portion having an upper curved surfaceforming a continuation of the inner curved surface,-and an outboardextension of said one main section and constituting a combined fingerguard and auxiliary deflecting surface; and in combination with theother of said main sections of a prong integrally formed therewith andbent toward the first-mentioned main section to enter the opening in thetongue of said first-mentioned main section when the two main sectionsare bent toward each other, and said prong of the second main sectionadapted to be deflected by the inner wall of said first-mentioned mainsection or, if outwardly misdirected in bending the two main sectionstoward each other, to be deflected first by the combined finger guardand auxiliary deflecting surface of said first-mentioned main section soas to enter the opening in the tongue of said first-mentioned mainsection and thereafter to be deflected by the inner wall of saidfirst-mentioned main section.

2. In a seal having two bendably connected main sections of sheetmaterial, the combination with one of said main sections, provided withan inner curved surface, of a tongue formed integrally with said onemain section and bent inwardly thereover in spaced relation thereto,said tongue having an unbent portion severed from the tongue butconnected at its base to the one main section at the line of bending ofsaid tongue to thereby provide an opening in said tongue adjacent itsline of bending, said unbent portion having an upper curved surfaceforming a continuation of the inner curved surface, and an outboardextension of said one main section and constituting a combined fingerguard and auxiliary deflecting surface, said tongue having further adetent lying bent toward the inner surface of said main section; and incombination with the other of said main sections of a prong integrallyformed therewith and bent toward the first-mentioned main section toenter the opening in the tongue of said first-mentioned main sectionwhen the two main sections are bent toward each other, and said prong ofthe second main section adapted to be deflected by the inner wall ofsaid first-mentioned main section or, if outwardly misdirected inbending the two main sections toward each other, to be deflected firstby the combined finger guard and auxiliary deflecting surface of saidfirst-mentioned main section so as to enter the opening in the tongue ofsaid first-mentioned main section and thereafter to be deflected by theinner wall of said first-mentioned main section, and an inwardlyprojecting spur on the prong of said second-mentioned main section toengage the detent on the tongue of said first-mentioned main section.

3. In a seal having two bendably connected main sections of sheetmaterial, the combination with one of said main sections, provided withan inner curved surface, of a tongue formed integrally with said onemain section and bent inwardly thereover in spaced relation thereto,said tongue having an unbent portion severed from the tongue butconnected at its base to the one main section at the line of bending ofsaid tongue to thereby provide an opening in said tongue adjacent itsline of bending, said unbent portion having an upper curved surfaceforming a continuation of the inner curved surface, and an outboardextension of said one main section and constituting a combined fingerguard and auxiliary deflecting surface; and in combination with theother of said main sections of a prong integrally formed therewith andbent toward the first-mentioned main section to enter the opening in thetongue of said first-mentioned main section when the two main sectionsare bent toward each other, and said prong of the second main sectionadapted to be deflected by the inner wall of said first-mentioned mainsection or, if outwardly misdirected in bending the two main sectionstoward each other, to be deflected first by the combined finger guardand auxiliary deflecting surface of said first-mentioned main section soas to enter the opening in the tongue of said first-mentioned mainsection and thereafter to be deflected by the inner wall of saidfirst-mentioned main section, and an inwardly projecting spur on theprong of said second-mentioned main section to engage the free end ofthe tongue on said first-mentioned main section.

4. In a seal having two bendably connected main sections of sheetmaterial, the combination with one of said main sections, provided withan inner curved surface, pr a tongue formed integrally with said onemairi section and bent inwardly thereover in spaced relation thereto,said tongue having an unbent portion severed from the tongue butconnected at its base to the one main section at the line of bending ofsaid tongue to thereby provide an opening in said tongue adjacent itsline of bending, said opening relatively wide at one end and withshouldered formation diminishing. in width toward its other end, saidunbent portion having an upper curved surface forming a continuation ofthe inner curved surface, and an outboard extension of said one mainsection and constituting a combined finger guard and auxiliarydeflecting surface; and in combination with the other of said mainsections of a prong integrally connected by a narrow neck portion at itsbase to said second main section, said prong bent toward thefirst-mentioned main section to enter the opening in the tongue of saidfirst-mentioned main section when the two main sections are bent towardeach other, and said prong of the second main section adapted to bedeflected by the inner wall of said first-mentioned main section or, ifoutwardly misdirected in bending the two main sections toward eachother, to be deflected first by the combined finger guard and auxiliarydeflecting surface of said first-mentioned main section so as to enterthe opening in the tongue of said first-mentioned main section andthereafter to be deflected by the inner wall of said first-mentionedmain section.

5. In a seal having two bendably connected main sections of sheetmaterial, the combination with one of said main sections, provided withan inner curved surface, of a tongue formed integrally with said onemain section and bent inwardly thereover in spaced relation thereto,

said tongue having an unbent portion severed from the tongue butconnected at its base to the one main section at the line of bending ofsaid tongue to thereby provide an opening in said tongue adjacent itsline of bending, said unbent portionhaving an upper curved surfaceforming a continuation of the inner curved surface, and an outboardextension of said one main section and constituting a combined fingerguard and auxiliary deflecting surface; and in combination with theother of said main sections of a prong integrally formed therewith andbent toward the first-mentioned main section to enter the opening in thetongue of said first-mentioned main section when the two main sectionsare bent toward each other, and said prong of the second main sectionadapted to be deflected by the inner wall of'said first-mentioned mainsection or, if outwardly misdirected in bending the two main sectionstoward each other, to be deflected first by the combined finger guardand auxiliary defleeting surface of said first-mentioned main sectionso; as to enter the opening in the tongue of said first-mentioned mainsection and thereafter to be deflected by the irmer wall of saidfirst-mentioned main section, and means to prevent; retraction of saidprong when the seal is in closed position.

. WINFRED M. BROOKS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the flle ofthis patent:

- UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,982,783 Brooks Dec. 4, 19342,084,668 Brooks June 22, 1937 2,311,152 Canter Feb. 16, 1943' 2,487,419Brooks Nov. 8, 1949

